title: Prospective evaluation of laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass in patients with clinically severe obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and present our experience with laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in a selected patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 130 patients with a body mass index (BMI) between 35 and 50 kg/m(2) were evaluated in relation to postoperative morbidity, weight loss and resolution of co-morbidities for a period of 4 years following laparoscopic RYGB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early morbidity was 10.0%, including 1 patient with peritonitis who was admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 1 conversion to open RYGB early in the series. There was no early or late mortality. Maximum weight loss was achieved at 12 mo postoperatively, with mean BMI 30 kg/m(2), mean percentage of excess weight loss (EWL%) 66.4% and mean percentage of initial weight loss (IWL%) 34.3% throughout the follow-up period. The majority of preexisting comorbidities were resolved after weight loss and no major metabolic disturbances or nutritional deficiencies were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic RYGB appears to be a safe and effective procedure for patients with BMI 35-50 kg/m(2) with results that are comparable to previously published data mostly from the USA but from Europe as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Platia Voriou Ipirou 5, Patras 26441, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vagenas
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panagiotopoulos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kehagias
authors.forename: Stavros-Nikolaos
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Karamanakos
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mead
authors.forename: Fotis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalfarentzos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult